Manager Ruben Amorim argues that changing Man Utd's tactical system due to public scrutiny would have been "the end" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his customary three-at-the-back setup with wide defenders and opted to field an traditional back four shielded by two defensive midfielders.
By his own admission this at times became a back six in the closing phase as his side dug in for a victory - securing just their second clean sheet of the campaign.
Although he once memorably stated that even the highest authority could force him to change his approach, Amorim insists the ability to utilize alternative setups has remained part of his plan.
Nevertheless, he stresses he could only implement the change when his team were faring sufficiently well - lest it would seem as if he was giving in to external criticism.
"When I came here the previous campaign, I understood perhaps I don't have the players to perform effectively in that system, but it was the start of a journey," he said.
"The goal was to establish an philosophy. Now is a different juncture. We are missing a full complement of players, and we must adapt, so they comprehend the reason we are making changes.
"It is not because of the influence of journalists, or the supporters.
"Whenever the press talk about changing the system repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will believe I'm altering things because of external voices and I believe that is the downfall for the coach.
"Only when we are performing strongly in our system, that is the right time to change.
"We are going to grow into a more complete team because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not going to play with a back three in every match."
Squad Crisis Loom Large
With only two wins in their last eight outings prior to defeating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, however, managing with a depleted squad, with seven first-team players already unavailable for the forthcoming home game against winless Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That number will increase if playmaker Mason Mount fails to recover the injury that led to his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves match, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his boss to allow him to make a comeback after his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to train," revealed Amorim. "However there is absolutely no possibility he is going to feature against Wolves. Definitely not. You can quote me on that."
Fernandes' Leadership Remains
However, the Portuguese star will likely still be heavily involved, as whereas most injured players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted monitoring the warm-ups from the mouth of the player's tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim anticipates his captain to carry on providing input.
"The guy is a natural leader," he stated. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's silent and speaking. He's always vocal. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are bad things at times - the way he gesticulates - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he heads to observe the rest of the squad training. There are a many things you don't see.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain."
Return Timeline for Injured Personnel
Although the exact timeline for Fernandes' return - and that of other injured stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unclear, by the end of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
